Remove the ability to double click on Start Programs to open Windows Explorer

May they use the start button at all? If not, look here

http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/905/

They need to use the Start button as the programs that they have access to are located in Start, Programs.

Are the pc's in a domain?

Yes the pc's are in a domain but I have no control over it.  The domain is run and controlled centrally by Head Office.  I have applied Group Policy to the individual pc's which has locked them down completely, apart from the ability to right click the Start Programs option.

Sorry - I mean double click the Start Program option - not right click as I said in the last post!

If I understand your question correctly this may help.
It deals with disabling Explorer and context menus.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/13602/13602.html

Why not just remove it from its location in teh Start Menu under All users?
I believe it is here C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs.

But you still also have to worry about the right click on Start to Explore.

Here is an excerpt from http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/web4lib/2001-July/036850.html to disable the ability of certain groups access to Right Click Start>Explore

In regedt32 I went to:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell]

and set the student user account permissions for those keys to "deny" and
viola!  The can still right click and see "explore" but when they click on
explore they get an error alert and are denied access.  Much rather not
have the right click menus show up at all, but hey, this still does the job.

Also, an easier way to do it (untested though)

This will disable the Context Menu for the Task bar including the Start Menu button.

[HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
Value Name: NoTrayContextMenu
Data type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: (0 = Un-restricted, 1 = Restricted)

Should be able to use it for HKCU as well if needed.

Thanks for these.  The issue is not with Right Clicking the Start menu, I have already removed the option for them to do that.  The problem is that when they click on Start (using the Classic Start menu option), they can then double click on the Programs option and it opens Explorer.

What if you try to hide the drive in My computer, would they still be able to access it that way?
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsNT/RegistryTips/IEandExplorer/HidelocaldrivefromMyComputerinWindowsNTWindows2000Explorer.html


Ok...I see what you mean. I switched from XP start menu to Classic, and went Start>Programs, and double clicked. Cant do it with the XP start menu though.....Just flashes all programs twice....

I don't understand why you need to access programs from the start button at all.  desktop shortcuts or quick launch tool bar will allow access with fewer clicks.  Add a reboot icon and you could then disable the start button entirely for limited users.

Thanks for this

We had found another way around the problem, by substituting an X: drive for the C: drive at startup, it stops the double click working on Start | Programs, but allows us to access the hard drive using a password protected Explorer, using X:

I hadn't thought about moving the programs to the root of the Start menu - that would be a neater solution - Thanks.

All our programs that are run on these pc's are developed in-house so can be monitored and amended - the pc's have no access to any standard Windows software so there are no options to File Open etc.  We have not really had any of these issues while using Windows95 or NT, it is just as we've upgraded to XP that most of these issues have arisen.

Thanks again for everyones suggestions and help.